Energy Storage

As the energy storage trend unfolds, stories litter the media landscape about lithium-ion batteries catching fire, and even exploding. This is a valid concern, as the time for consumers to understand a basic truth about lithium-ion batteries is long past due.

Amendments to Poland’s renewable energy laws will go into effect in October, permitting the installation of solar systems up to 150 kW in size, without the need for building permits. Piotr Pająk, a local PV analyst, says the changes will support investments in rooftop solar projects.

Ireland’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and network operator EirGrid has revealed the 20 solar projects totaling 497 MW that were provisionally selected in the latest auction round of the country’s onshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). The procurement exercise concluded with an average strike price of €0.10047($0.10596)/kWh.

Moroccan researchers have investigated the potential energy savings of PV systems integrated with biomaterial-based walls in rural areas. They say that solar-powered earth homes could achieve a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of $0.218/kWh.

A fire broke out this week in a Tesla Megapack 2.0 battery unit at the Bouldercombe battery facility in Queensland, Australia.

SolarPower Europe said in its latest report on EU solar jobs that the European solar industry employed 648,000 people at the end of 2022, up from 466,000 the year prior. It said the sector will reach 1 million full-time employees within three years.

Scatec has turned on two solar-plus-storage facilities in northern Cameroon, with 30 MW of solar and 20 MW/19 MWh of energy storage.

In the third week of September, European electricity markets prices fell compared to the previous week. The decline was due to lower demand and a significant increase in wind energy production in several markets, which offset increasing gas and CO2 prices. On September 25, TTF gas futures reached their highest level since early April and on September 18, Brent reached its highest settlement price since November 2022.

Abu Dhabi-based Masdar and PLN Nusantara Power, an Indonesian state-owned electricity generator, have agreed to more than triple the size of the Cirata floating PV power plant in West Java so it can generate 500 MW.

LG Energy Solution will soon release its lithium iron phosphate batteries in the European market, featuring compatibility with single-phase and three-phase inverters. The South Korean manufacturer will offer two configurations, with capacities of 12.4 kWh and 15.5 kWh.